One of these things is not like the other. Can you guess which one it is? If you guessed the dark buffalo in front you’d be wrong! It’s the lighter one behind it that’s different. It’s lighter you see, in fact it is so light it is known as a white buffalo. A white buffalo is a miraculous thing and it is sacred to Native Americans as it is related to a prophesy called White Buffalo Calf Woman, which you can read more about here. http://discoverjamestownnd.com/data/upfiles/media/WhiteBuffaloLegend_large.jpg The chances of a white buffalo calf being born are thought to be one in ten million.

The National Buffalo Museum is located just outside Jamestown North Dakota and it is famous for having a white buffalo. Although the buffalo seen here is not pure white, but an orange-ish pale color there are patches of white on its hide.  Its mother is actually an albino, but has given birth to several pure white calves. The other thing about White buffalo is that they don’t always stay white. As they grow and age their color can change to a darker shade similar to the buffalo shown here to nearly dark brown again. Another snow-white buffalo calf born pure white, had its head color change from white to a dark brown and the rest of its body became a silvery tan as it aged. The prophesy states that the buffalo can become four colors, black, brown, red and white.

Visitor’s from all over the world have travelled to the museum to see this living miracle and of course Native Americans have travelled in huge numbers to pay their respects. If you’re travelling on I-94 through North Dakota watch for Jamestown and spend some time with one of the rarities of the animal world.